148 THE AMERICAN MAINLAND 



Hearne on his journey to the Coppermine, he started 

 down the Great Slave River into the Great Slave 

 Lake. After spending twenty days in crossing and 

 exploring this vast sheet of water, he entered the large 

 river now bearing his name, and down it amid many 

 dangers and difficulties, overcome by skill, persuasion, 

 force, good humour or good fortune, he reached the 

 sea on the 14th of July. He camped on Whale 

 Island, the name being given owing to one of the men 

 sighting a great many animals in the water, which he 

 at first supposed to be pieces of ice. " However," says 

 Mackenzie, " I was awakened to resolve the doubts 

 which had taken place respecting this extraordinary 

 appearance. I immediately perceived that they were 

 whales ; and having ordered the canoe to be prepared, 

 we embarked in pursuit of them. It was indeed a 

 very wild and unreflecting enterprise, and it was a very 

 fortunate circumstance that we failed in our attempt 

 to overtake them, as a stroke from the tail of one of 

 these enormous fish would have dashed the canoe to 

 pieces. We may, perhaps, have been indebted to the 

 foggy weather for our safety, as it prevented us from 

 continuing our pursuit. Our guide informed us that 

 they are the same kind of fish which are the principal 

 food of the Eskimos, and they were frequently seen as 

 large as our canoe. The part of them which appeared 

 above the water was altogether white, and they were 

 much larger than the largest porpoise " being evidently 

 belugas (Delphinapterus leucas). 



Satisfied with a short canoe voyage on the sea, he 

 returned to the river and made his way back to the 

 fort, arriving there in the middle of September. He 



